


People Change

by TheSerpentGamer



Series: Non Tickle Fics [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Childhood Friends, High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-28 18:27:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21141203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSerpentGamer/pseuds/TheSerpentGamer
Summary: HS AU, Roman runs into his childhood friend, Virgil… but Virgil’s changedCHAPTER ONEI love feedback! Critique is greatly appreciated! Chapter one is pretty short but I swear there’s more later on, I already have everything outlined.anything in italics is a flashback (i hope its obvious but im putting this here just in case)





	1. Chapter 1

Sophomore year.

Day 1 of Roman’s new adventure of 10th grade was almost over! He had already made a good impression on all his classmates, signed back up for the drama club, and decorated his locker. A successful first day in Roman’s eyes.

Roman walked the familiar halls with a smile. He couldn’t wait to go home and tell his mom all about it.

The halls buzzed with activity as the end of school bell rang out, teens scattering the area and rushing out the doors.

Roman followed, walking towards the back of the school so he could start his journey home on foot, as he preferred. His eyes scanned the hall as he liked to people watch. 

It was a wondrous mess of colors and character that made Roman smile each time.

Today, his eye caught something… rather someone.

Roman stopped dead in his tracks. 

It couldn’t be…

Could it?

No, Roman recognized that face… even under that makeup.

Roman’s heart tightened and he smiled as he ran. “Virgil? Virgil is that you?”

The boy flinched and turned towards him.

Roman gasped. “Virgil!” He stopped about 6 inches from Virgil with a huge grin. “Oh my goodness it’s been years! How are you?”

Instead of a gasp of surprise or a warm smile… Virgil looked… distressed.

“R-Roman?”

“Yes, Roman Bishop, it’s me! It’s so good to see you.” Roman opened his arms for a hug and Virgil just stared.

“Uh… yeah. Good for you.” Virgil blew at his bangs and turned and… walked away.

Roman blanked, his arms still outstretched. A few kids snickered at the rejection.

“W-Wait, Virgil!” Roman jogged after him and grabbed his arm. “What’s with that attitude? Where’s a greeting for an old friend?”

Virgil grit his teeth and glared. “Look. I don’t know you, and you don’t know me. We might’ve been friends as kids, but people change.”

With that, Virgil ripped his hand from Roman’s hold and disappeared into the crowd.

Roman was stunned to say the least. He felt frozen in place as his mind tried to process what happened.

“V…Virgil?” Roman whispered to himself.

After a moment, when his feet no longer felt cemented to the floor, Roman walked out of the building, now considerably less crowded, to his normal route back to his house.

His mind was reeling, playing back the interaction.

The kid who wore pokemon shirts and followed him on adventures now wore nothing but black and a scowl.

The kid who played with him night and day… the kid who had a tin-can-telephone set up with him… just… said they don’t even know each other?

—  
_  
Roman tugged on his end of their make-shift phone: two cans tied by a string between their windows. “Ring ring ring!”_

_He looked through his window to see Virgil pick up his end. “What is it, Princey?”_

_“I have a secret to tell you!” Roman giggled into his can._

_“Tell me! Tell me!” From his window, Roman could see Virgil’s massive smile. _

_“Gotta promise not to tell, okay?”_

_“Cross my heart!” Virgil made the heart crossing motion from his window._

_“Okay the secret is… you’re my best friend!” Roman yelled._

_“That’s not a secret, dummy!” Virgil laughed back._

_Roman smiled, watching Virgil laugh at his ‘secret’ from the next door window made his heart flutter. Maybe if one of them were girls, they would be boyfriend and girlfriend. That was something he thought often… but it was silly since they were both boys.  
_

—

Roman gripped tight at his rainbow wristband. He smiled at the memory. When they were kids you could practically never separate them. Until middle school…

—

__

_“Why does he have to go to the other one?” Roman wiped his eyes as his mom gave him a sympathetic look._

_“That’s school zones, honey. His new house is in a different zone, I can’t do anything about it.”_

_His dad put a hand on his shoulder and spoke softly. “Virgil will be fine in his middle school. And you’ll make new friends at yours.”_

_“I don’t want new friends! I want Virgil!” Roman cried and ran to his room, slamming the door and crying into his pillow. He didn’t know how long he had been crying before he heard a sad voice from their tin-can-telephone._

_“Ring ring.” _

_Roman scrambled for his side of the phone._

_“Virgil? Please stay!”_

_“My dad says no. We have to move.”_

_Roman didn’t have to see Virgil’s face to know he was crying as well._

_“I don’t want you to go. I wanted to go to middle school together.”_

_“Me too.”_

_…  
_

—

“I always thought I’d never see him again.” Roman whispered to himself as he walked. “But… I saw him again, and he’s not the same. So why do I feel…”

Roman shook his head as he approached his house.

“I just need to forget about him… just like he seemed to forget about me.”


	2. Chapter 2

He couldn’t forget about him.

After everything they went through as kids... after growing up together... three years in middle school couldn’t wipe that all away.

\---  
_  
“Last pillow!” Roman laughed and placed the final pillow on their pillow fort. _

_“Behold, a castle fit for a prince!” Roman announced._

_“It’s the biggest one yet!” Virgil giggled. _

_“Let me climb up.” Roman got on the ottoman and began climbing on top._

_“Roman, careful! What if it falls?” Virgil rushed to hold onto the pillows, hoping they wouldn’t fall over._

_“You worry too much, Stormcloud!” Roman chuckled and climbed up a bit more before finding himself 5 feet in the air on a large stack of pillows. Roman gave a valiant pose like he saw in the movie Hercules._

_“What do you think?” Roman asked._

_Virgil bit his lip. “You look great... Princey.”_

_“Princey?”_

_“I-I just thought since... y’know you nicknamed me stormcloud that... well since you like fairy tales and Disney... I could nickname you... Princey?” Virgil stuttered._

_Roman hopped down from his pillow fort and tackle-hugged Virgil. “I love it!”_

_“You do?” Virgil laughed with a hopeful tone._

_“Yeah! Princey and stormcloud forever!” Roman yelled._

_“Princey and stormcloud forever!” Virgil yelled back.  
_  
\---

Class seemed like a second priority the next day. Between each class, during lunch, he was looking for one person. Virgil.

He had so many questions. Why would he dress like that? Why would he be so distant? Why did he act like they barely knew each other? But most importantly... why was he so... mean? They were best friends as kids!

It didn’t make sense and it was so out of character for the Virgil Roman knew.

Roman found himself in the same hall as yesterday, scanning the crowds for Virgil.

Minutes passed. Ten minutes... fifteen minutes...

Almost everyone was gone, but Roman knew he couldn’t have missed Virgil.

Part of him realized he was kind of... stalking. But he just had to know! What was going on?

Soon Roman spotted the same black jacket and dark hair as yesterday.

“Virgil, wait!”

Virgil turned to him with a scowl. “What do you want, Roman?”

Roman felt his heart stiffen. “Virgil I just... why are you so hostile. We used to be close.”

“We’re not anymore. I think I made that clear.” Virgil’s tone was cold as ice.

“Why are you being such an ass? I just wanted to say hi!” Roman fists tightened. What was with the hostility?!

“You said hi.” Virgil deadpanned.

“But I want to-”

“No. Go cry about it.”

Go cry about it....

\---  
__  
“Roman, we’re deep enough.” Virgil tugged at Roman’s shirt and he shooed at him. 

_“No, we’ve been here before. We need to be real explorers and go deeper into the woods!” Roman pointed his wooden sword toward the heart of the forest._

_“But what about predators and stuff?”_

_“Pssh, I can handle them. I’ve done more dangerous.” Roman boasted, clashing his sword against a nearby tree._

_“You could’ve gotten hurt.” Virgil grabbed his hand, bring Roman’s attention to him. His eyes were watering. “We could get hurt.”_

_“Then go cry about it, I’m going deeper!”   
_  
\---

By the time Roman snapped back to reality, Virgil was walking away.

Roman had... said that stuff to seem brave and impressive.

But now...

Virgil waved a hand dismissively as he walked away. “Get away from me, Princey. I’ve changed. Clearly you haven’t. Stay stuck in the past for all I care.”

Roman’s heart cracked hearing that nickname used so... full of animosity. 

Was the Virgil Roman knew and loved... gone?

\---  
__  
“You know, one day you’ll have to do things yourself, ya big baby.” Roman joked and squeezed Virgil’s hand. The two walked side by side towards the nearby gas station for some snacks.

_“But you always protect me.” _

_“I guess I’ll just always have to be your knight!” Roman raised his wooden sword, making Virgil giggle._

_“I thought you were a prince!”_

_“I can be both!” _

_“Nu-uh!”_

_“Yuh-huh!” Roman ruffed up Virgil’s hair with a snicker._

_“Stop it!” Virgil whined, swatting at Roman’s hands. _

_“Okay, I guess your personal knight wouldn’t do that.” Roman snickered._

_“If you’re my personal knight, that means you do what I say, right?”_

_“I guess.” Roman shrugged, catching on to what Virgil was thinking._

_Virgil giggled. “Bark like a dog, knight!”_

_Roman smiled and obeyed, barking like his dog at home. Virgil laughed harder, clutching his middle. _

_“Hey, I’m just following your orders.” Roman laughed._

_“Dogs can’t speak!”_

_“Dogs do jump, though!” Roman tackled Virgil to the grass, both of them laughing helplessly. _

_After their laughter died down, Virgil spoke up. “You’ll always protect me... right, Princey?”_

_“Always, stormcloud.”  
_


	3. Chapter 3

Time for the drama club’s first meeting.

Ordinarily Roman would be bursting with excitement.

While his love of theater persists... he had something else on his mind.

His friend, Remy, seemed to notice. 

“What gives, girl. It’s drama club! Usually you’d be belting out musical theater lyrics right now.”

“I’m... just out of it, today.” Roman sighed.

“Well this should cheer you up, the first year’s are coming in today. A whole new batch of drama club material. New cast, new characters... fun right?” Remy rubbed Roman’s back with a sympathetic look. He’d never seen Roman bummed out in a theater environment before.

A small tiny sliver of him thought maybe Virgil would come in. He was a freshman... and as kids the two loved making plays together for their parents.

The door opened and the new theater kids scrambled in. His eyes flicked over the crowd... hoping to see-

Nope.

What was Roman thinking? The old Virgil might have... but the new Virgil would never.

He tried to pay attention to the new kids, but his mind kept playing memories he’d pressed deep down.

\---  
_  
“Psst... Princey.”_

_Roman rubbed his eyes and looked over. Virgil was standing at his bedside. _

_“Virgey, when mom said we could have a sleepover I told you you couldn’t be a baby about the nightlight.”_

_“I had a nightmare, Princey.” Virgil sniffled and wiped his eyes._

_Roman’s gaze softened and he sighed. “I got a twin size bed, you can sleep with me if you want.”_

_Virgil wasted no time crawling into bed beside Roman, still whimpering from his nightmare._

_“I got you, ya scaredy-cat.” Roman wrapped his arm around the younger, holding him close and rubbing his back._

_“Promise to protect me in my dreams?” Virgil whispered. _

_“Of course. I’ll kill all the monsters with my sword.”_

_Virgil giggled and sniffled._

_“Night, Princey.”_

_“Night, stormcloud.”_  
  
\---

Roman thought he was a good friend but... he called Virgil baby and scaredy cat and... he never thought twice about it. Could that be why Virgil seemed to hate him?

Roman was startled out of his thoughts by Remy shaking him.

“Earth to Ro, we kind of have a club going on? Go mingle with the newbies.”

Roman blinked and sighed, getting out of his chair to greet the freshman drama club recruits who had gathered in the front.

He began shaking the hands of each one, welcoming them to the club, when he overheard one of the freshman talking.

“I knew Virgil a bit when-”

“You knew Virgil?” Roman whipped his head towards the kid.

He instantly felt his cheeks redden as the kids looked at him confusedly. 

“Virgil Sanders? Yeah! Oh, do you know him? Has he started making friends again?” The kid’s face lit up at the idea. “Oh, I’m Patton by the way.”

Roman shook his hand. “I’m Roman. And about Virgil... I knew him when we were kids.”

Patton gasped. “Oh, tell me about him as a kid!”

Roman blinked and gave a soft smile. 

“Well, he was sweet, small, and timid. He liked to play but... mostly was just wanting everyone to be safe and happy. He... followed me everywhere, and was always there for me.”

Roman flushed when he realized he said that all out loud. He cleared his throat.

“So... do you know why he’s... not so friendly?” Roman asked.

Patton sighed. “Gosh, I don’t know. I knew him part of 6th grade. We got along alright... but then he started growing colder around everyone and just... pushed everyone away.”

Another kid perked up and butted in. “Are you talking about Virgil Sanders?”

“Yeah, do you know him?” Roman asked.

“Poor kid, yeah. He basically became the biggest target in middle school.”

“T-target?” Roman sputtered.

The kid shot him a cocky smirk. “I’m guessing you didn’t go to Jackson Middle School.”

“No, I went to Webb.”

“Yeah, Jackson’s full of bullies. The teacher’s aren’t much better. I guess maybe cause he cried at the drop of a hat, he became a big red target to every asshole in the school.”

“Th-that’s horrible!” Patton whined.

“Yeah. Year 7 he just kinda shut down. The bullies started leaving him alone, but I think that’s just because they were going for the younger kids, I don’t know.”

“That’s just awful!” Patton gawked.

“I know right?” The kid continued.

From here, Roman zoned out.

It was because he went to the different school... and because of bullies?

So... the shut down wasn’t Roman’s fault. Why was he mad at him? And... did the bullies erase old Virgil forever?

\---  
__  
“You’re such a crybaby.” Roman whined.

_Virgil had tripped and scraped his knee on the sidewalk. The boy was sobbing like it was the end of the world._

_Roman sighed and crouched down before ripping off a piece of his shirt and tying it around Virgil’s knee._

_“B-But y-your shirt-” He cried._

_“I learned it at boy scouts! I’ve always wanted to actually do it. So thanks!” Roman stood and offered a hand up. “Wanna go play knights and dragons?”_

_Virgil wiped his nose and nodded. “Okay.”  
_


	4. Chapter 4

Roman left the drama club room. They had dismissed about 20 minutes ago but he stayed to clean up a bit and think. 

Mixed emotions would be an understatement. Guilt. Fear. Love. Joy. Relief. Sadness. Rage.

Roman didn’t think there was an emotion he WASN’T feeling.

Roman walked down the hall just to see the detention kids letting out.

And who else walked out?

Virgil walked down the left hall and out into the courtyard, seemingly unalerted of Roman’s presence.

For a moment he hesitated. What if it was a lost cause? What if he just got yelled at?

No, he had to try again.

“Virgil, please!” Roman yelled and ran after him. “Can we just talk?”

“Oh my fucking god.” Virgil growled and turned around with an icy gaze. “Talk about what? I think i’ve made everything pretty clear.”

“No you haven’t! This isn’t the Virgil I remember-”

“PEOPLE CHANGE YOU IDIOT!” Virgil yelled.

There was a pause. Virgil staring at Roman who was starting to feel helpless.

“...I don’t think you did.”

Virgil looked taken aback.

“And what makes you think that?”

“You’re still in there-”

“I AM NOT SOME PUZZLE FOR YOU TO CRACK! I’m Virgil. A different one. The one you remember is dead in a ditch somewhere, got it?” Virgil looked intensely angry, like he was letting everything out. “Stupid. Naive. Weak. Pathetic. Worthless!” Virgil spit out the words like acid on his tongue. And something told Roman those weren’t his words.

Virgil’s eyes were hidden by his bangs, but his eyeshadow began to run.

Roman reached out. “Virgil please-” 

“Get away from me! I changed!”

Roman growled. “Then WHY? WHY did you change? WHY do you pretend like I don’t exist? and WHY do you push everyone away?!” Roman was no longer pleading. He was demanding. 

Virgil turned his head away.

There was a heavy silence, and niether made any move to disturb it for quite some time.

Virgil murmured something just barely audible.

“Show no weakness.”

Roman blinked. “What?”

“Show no weakness!”

\---  
_  
“You may be leaving, but we’re still Princey and Stormcloud forever!” Roman marched with Virgil close behind. _

_“Remember, Virgey. Show no weakness, that’s the way we’ll fight through life. You can’t let the world know you’re afraid, just fight on!” Roman shouted with a determined optimism. He pointed his stick forward into the sunset._

_He felt Virgil come to his side and hold his shirt. “I’ll try, Princey. For you.”_

_Roman grabbed Virgil hand and pulled him close. “I know you can do it, Stormcloud.”  
_  
\---

Roman’s eyes widened and he felt his breath leave for a moment. Before he knew it he felt tears roll down his cheek. Virgil was crouched on the ground, refusing to make eye contact.

“Virgil... I’m sorry I-”

“What was I supposed to do without you?!” He shouted, tears falling onto the cement. “I lived my entire life following you. You protected me from everything and told me how to be brave. And then... you were gone... and I was scared.”

Virgil was sobbing hard at this point... as if he hadn’t cried in years.

“You think I don’t want you back?! I loved you, Roman! You fucking idiot! But knowing you...” Virgil’s voice got scared... and vulnerable. “You could’ve easily become a bully rather than a friend.”

Virgil hugged himself, his jacket growing wet with tears.

“I couldn’t take that chance. Not after everything.”

Roman felt his heart ache. Virgil thought he would’ve become a bully to him... He was afraid...

It felt like ages before Roman could even breathe.

“Virgil.” Roman spoke with confidence and a clear tone that demanded no interuptions. “The way I talked to you when we were young was wrong, but my bond with you was true, and I believe it still can be.” Roman walked and crouched down beside Virgil. “I want to be here for you.”

Roman hugged Virgil. Finally. He had no idea how much he longed to have him in his arms again.

Virgil sobbed into his shoulder... letting out everything that had no doubt been walled of for several years. 

Roman held him tight, rubbing his back like he had all those years ago. And he hummed a tune he had almost forgotten.

They stayed like that for a long time, neither of them counting the minutes are yearning to leave, or even watching the sun go by.

Virgil pulled back to look at Roman. His eyes were puffy and red and almost all his eyeshadow had run.

“People do change. You changed. you... you care.”

Roman hugged him tighter.

“I’ve always cared... I just didn’t show it very well back then.”

...

\---  
__  
“I guess this is goodbye.” Roman wiped his eyes. Virgil’s dad already had the car full of boxes running and was telling his son to get in.

_“I don’t want to say goodbye.” Virgil whimpered._

_Roman cupped Virgil’s face and tilted it up “Hey, remember the song?” _

_Virgil smiled and nodded as Roman began to hum._

_“We’ll always be together_

_You and me together_

_A princely knight_

_A stormy cloud_

_We’ll always be together.”_

_The two finished the song and a somber smile._

_“Goodbye... Princey.”_

_“Goodbye, Stormcloud.”_

_As Virgil waved and got in the van Roman sang the song again._

_We’ll always be together.  
_


End file.
